


Flowery Words

by ersatzworlds



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One Shot, POV Second Person, florist san
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:13:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28789269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ersatzworlds/pseuds/ersatzworlds
Summary: "Good morning," a melodious voice greets you.You spot a young man behind the counter, a cute smile on his face as he watches you approach him. He presents a flower to you in his outstretched hand. Your face grows hot, and you can only blink in confusion."Welcome to the neighbourhood."
Relationships: Choi San/Reader
Kudos: 19





	Flowery Words

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic was originally posted on Tumblr for an Atiny Secret Valentine

The bell above you rings as you open the front door of the little shop. A wave of warm air hits your face as you enter, carrying with it a multitude of perfumes. No scent is distinct, but your nose is pleased with the perfect blend of fragrances. The delicate morning rays seep in through the window, bringing alive all the blues, reds and yellows in the room—a vibrant spectacle of colours for your eyes.

"Good morning," a melodious voice greets you.

You spot a young man behind the counter, a cute smile on his face as he watches you approach him. You remark that you hadn't noticed him upon entering, possibly because he suited his floral surroundings so well.

"How can I help you today?"

You forget how to speak for a moment, all too amazed by the beauty of the little flower shop, as well as the man in front of you. Seeing his unwavering smile gives you back your words however, but they still only come out as a stutter. "I'm looking for something decorative... maybe even seasonal."

He nods his head in thought. Going around the counter, he walks past you to pick flowers from different corners of the room. When he returns to your side, he's holding a bouquet of yellow, orange and red flowers. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful," you say, in awe of how something of such beauty was put together so quickly. Your hand reaches up to touch one of the flowers, and you bend down to take in its scent. A small smile creeps on your face. When you stand upright, you notice that the man's expression mirrors yours. You hold eye contact for a short second, before he quickly turns away to place the flowers in a basket.

"So are these flowers for a special occasion?" he asks as he rearranges the bouquet.

"Sort of. My family and I are opening our restaurant today. We just wanted to have some flowers on display to decorate the place a little more."

He gasps, "That's the new restaurant across the street, right? I guess that makes us neighbours."

You let out a small laugh, finding his words a little silly, but ultimately really cute. "I guess it does."

He giggles in return, finally sliding the basket over to you. After paying him and thanking him for the flowers, you head for the door. You don't get very far before he stops you however. When you turn back around, he seems to be huddled next to a shrub. He snips at the little bush, then approaches you holding a freshly cut stem. It's adorned with the angelic white petals of small, delicate flowers. You wonder for a moment if he forgot to add it to the bouquet. But when he presents the flower to you in his outstretched hand, he seems to be encouraging you to take it. The sweet smile on his face makes your face grow hot, and you can only blink in confusion.

"Welcome to the neighbourhood."

* * *

"I just feel like my cooking isn't good enough."

The man in front of you, San, shakes his head. His hands never stop handling the flowers, rearranging their position to the liking of his artistic eye.

"That doesn't mean you should stop trying. People naturally seek perfection, but their perception of it is constantly changing. That's why no one is ever truly satisfied with their own work." Laying his hands on the counter, he turns to you. "You started cooking to help your parents, right?"

"Yes," you say simply.

"Then cook for _them_. Don't cook to be number one. Try your best for them, and they'll see and appreciate that."

Looking down at your feet, you let San's words sink in. You can only respond with a tiny shrug of your shoulders. You hear him walk towards a different part of the shop, his pace slow as if searching for something.

"How about this," he begins, "when you get back from school later, you prepare something and I'll come by and taste it myself. Then I'll give you my unbiased opinion."

By the end of his sentence, San is next to you again. In his hand is a dainty yellow flower. He holds it out to you, close enough that you can count its eight little petals. The sight is reminiscent of when you first met him in this same shop.

"What do you say?"

When you look up at him, you see him smiling. You notice the dimples on his cheeks, and how it makes him look even cuter than he already does. You can't stop the heat from rising to your face.

"A-alright," you mumble, not being able to reject him.

* * *

You giggle as San continues to scroll through the album of pictures on his phone. Finding a selfie of himself, he points out to you the new plush toy that he's posing with. He goes on and on, telling you everything about it. He's been at it for over thirteen pictures now, but it doesn't seem to bother you. On the contrary, you actively listen to him speak so sweetly and so passionately. To you, this side of San is even more endearing than the side he shows his customers, and you were happy that you've discovered it.

The hanging bell rings at the front of the store. You wonder who could possibly be coming in, as the flower shop is usually empty at this hour. When you turn around to see who's at the door, you're surprised to find your mother entering. When she spots you at the counter next to San, she doesn't seem any less shocked than you.

"Mom? I thought you were prepping the kitchen? What are you doing here?" You approach her, taking her hands in yours.

"You never came back to the restaurant, so I assumed you went to school early. I came here to get the new flowers myself."

You stare at her for a moment, confused by her words. The chime of a grandfather clock resonates throughout the little shop and catches your attention. You look over, and when you notice where the hour hand is hovering, you choke on the floral scented air.

"It's already 10?!"

You almost pass out—but you can't let yourself faint when you're already going to be late for your ten o'clock exam. You practically yank your hands away from your mother's, making her jump in surprise. You stumble as you run back to the counter where San is still standing. He watches in slight amusement as you attempt to scoop up all your belongings in one swift movement, but fail miserably.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go. I'll just text you later," you tell San as you pick up some of your things that had rolled to the floor.

You don't give him time to respond before sprinting back to the front door, kissing your mother's cheek on the way out.

As you run down the now busy street, you glance down at the flower in your hand. You received it from San just a few minutes earlier, and you managed to take it with you in your rush. You inspect the lilac purple petals for any damage that could have been done to them, paying little attention to your surroundings and almost getting run over in the process.

* * *

You momentarily stop stirring the pan on the stove, looking over your shoulder when you hear your mother call your name. Your brows furrow in confusion as she takes the wooden spoon from your hands and motions you to take over her place at the cash register. The grin on her face is suggestive, but you only understand it when you turn around; standing in front of the counter is San. He looks around the small restaurant, waiting patiently for someone to take his order—which in this case was going to be you. When his eyes sweep over to land on you, the corners of his lips curve up into a small smile.

"You're here early today," you say once you come face-to-face with him. Your words come out as more of a question rather than a statement.

"Well I know that you have classes later today," he begins, moving his hand from behind his back, "so I wanted to come see you before you left."

Presented before you, between San's soft fingers, is a single exquisite flower. Its petals look as if they were glowing white, fading into a light yellow at its base. The striking contrast between the snow white petals and the forest green leaves makes the flower even more eye-catching.

"Oh," you breathe out, stunned by both his words and his offering. Hesitantly, you reach out to take it from him.

At that moment, you suddenly become very aware of your surroundings, and you feel embarrassed by what just unfolded. You had, to a certain degree, become accustomed to San's flowers, but only in private. This was the first time he'd given you one around other people, and you weren't sure how you felt about it. You clutch the flower near your chest, trying to hide the evidence of your friend's incredibly charming gesture. To your horror, you hear giggles coming from behind you. When you look back, you spot your parents whispering to each other, stealing glances in your direction. You almost snap at San for doing something relatively gossip-worthy in a public space. But when you look up at him, the innocent smile on his face makes your heart melt just a little.

"T-thanks," you mumble instead.

* * *

You're fully aware of how disrespectful you're being. But no matter how hard you try to stay focused on your conversation with this young man, you repeatedly get distracted by San. You wonder to yourself where you'd gone wrong; why would San not speak to you anymore? It's blatantly obvious to you that he's avoiding you. Heck, he's been standing a few feet away from you for minutes now, but has yet to acknowledge your presence or even look in your direction.

"What do you think?" the young man asks.

You blink at your customer. Eventually you process that you were just asked a question. You let out a nervous laugh. "I'm sorry, could you please repeat that?"

"I was wondering if you were interested in having dinner with me tomorrow evening," he says with a chuckle.

This time round, you hear his words a little more clearly. Before you can give a proper response, you see San move in the corner of your eye. You don't even try to hide your interest anymore, turning your head to watch him. He steps forward, taking the bag of food from your mother. You see a small smile on his lips when he thanks her, but it quickly disappears when he sees you. Turning around, he heads for the door.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Tomorrow evening... Could you, uh"—you glance one last time at the customer— "just give me a sec. I'll be right back."

You follow after San. By the time you step out of the restaurant, he's already across the street, entering the flower shop. As you're about to take a step forward, you notice a flower pot sitting outside the shop. You note that it's the first time you've seen it among the other exterior displays. The pale yellow flowers planted in it stood out from the surrounding greenery, as if making a statement to those that pass by.

At that exact moment, you are reminded that about a dozen customers are waiting for you inside the restaurant. Reluctantly, you decide against going after San, and force yourself to head back inside.

* * *

You stare at San's stoic expression. It's so unfamiliar to you; it would have made you uncomfortable, if not for his handsome features. You can't help but think of how much you miss his smile.

You clear your throat, expecting him to look at you, but he doesn't even blink. His eyes and hands give the flowers his full attention, determined to get the job done quickly.

"I learned something yesterday." You pause for a moment, but continue when you don't get a response from San, "One of my regular customers gave me these beautiful red flowers. He said that he bought them from your store."

Abandoning the bouquet, San goes to stand behind the counter. "That'll be sixty-two thousand won," he tells you, ignoring your story.

"He said you helped him pick them out." You search for his averting eyes as you pass him the money. "Apparently you told him that those flowers symbolize love and passion. Is that true? Do those flowers actually have symbolism?"

San finally looks at you. Staring into his eyes, you see something in them that you can't quite decipher. They try to tell you something, but you have a hard time reading the emotion behind them.

"The flowers that you gave me... did they mean anything?"

San slides the flowers closer to you, never breaking eye contact. His voice is so monotone, it frightens you. "Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a nice day."

* * *

You stare at the bouquet of pastel purple flowers sitting on the counter. Picking it up, you notice a tag hanging from the stem wrap. On it reads your name, written in black ink.

"What is this?" you ask your mother.

When you look up at her, she just shrugs. You manage to catch the small smile on her face before she heads into the back kitchen; you're left alone in the main area of the small restaurant.

Looking back down at the counter, you spot a little booklet hiding underneath the flowers. Taking it in your hands, you realize that it's handmade. On the cover, in the same handwriting as the tag, is written _Choi San's Floriography_.

Turning to the first page of the booklet, you find a picture of a white flower, and the words _White Hibiscus Flower - Beauty_ written below it. You vaguely remember seeing the flower somewhere before. Realization hits you when you read the paragraph at the bottom of the page.

_I remember when you first stepped inside the flower shop. You looked so beautiful, I forgot how to speak for a second... I'm not sure how, but I managed to find the courage to give you this flower before you left._

Even in your shock, you manage to let out a small laugh. You recall the first time you met San in the flower shop. The image of him smiling brightly among all the colourful flowers would stay engraved in your memory forever.

Turning the page, a picture of a familiar yellow flower was taped to the paper. _Coreopsis Flower - Cheerfulness_. Since the day he gave you that flower, San had become your source of comfort.

_I always loved seeing you happy. When you came to the flower shop one day feeling insecure about your cooking, I wanted to do nothing more than make you smile again._

The third page had _Purple Freesia Flowers_. Next to its name was the word _Friendship_. You remembered having that flower on your desk next to you while doing your exam. It helped you calm down while you were freaking out over showing up thirty minutes late to the test.

_Over time, I saw you as more than just the pretty girl from the restaurant across the street. I loved spending time with you. You were always invested in everything I had to say._

You gasp when you read _Secret Love_ on the next page, underneath the picture of a white flower. It was the same as the one San gave you months ago when he came to the restaurant. The _Gardenia Flower_.

_I was a coward for too long. I was too scared to tell you that I liked you that day, so I gave you this flower, hoping maybe you could understand what I wasn't able to say with words._

Your mouth hangs open as you read the words again. It was hard for you to fully understand what San was trying to say. You read over the next pages quickly, trying to find a more explicit explanation in his short paragraphs.

_Yellow Hyacinth Flowers - Jealousy. When I noticed, a few weeks ago, that one of your customers was interested in you, I tried not to let it affect me. But seeing you talk to him everyday didn't do me any good. Whenever I would pass by these flowers inside the shop, I felt like they were mocking me, reminding me of how jealous I was actually feeling._

_Red Petunia Flowers - Resentment. I lied to that guy when I told him petunias represent love and passion. When he came in to buy flowers for you, it just made me angry. I acted immature and gave him flowers that reflected my own emotions instead._

On the last page, you find a picture of flowers identical to the ones you hold in your hands.

_Purple Hyacinth Flowers - Apology. I realize now that this whole time I was just angry at myself. I was angry for being afraid to tell you my feelings. I felt as if I didn't deserve your friendship if I was hiding that from you... so I kept my distance. But I wasn't mindful of how that could hurt you. I'm really sorry for ignoring you for so long. I hope that you could accept my sincere apology, because I think I'm finally ready to be honest with you..._

Slowly lowering the booklet, you let San's words sink in. You get your brain in gear, trying to figure out what to make of all of this. Without wasting another second, you get on your feet and bolt out the restaurant. You notice how dark it is outside now. You're relieved to see lights still on in the flower shop across the street. You aren't exactly sure what you plan on saying to San, but you run over anyway.

The bell above you rings as you open the front door of the little shop. A wave of warm air hits your face as you enter, carrying with it a multitude of perfumes. No scent is distinct, but your nose is pleased with the perfect blend of fragrances. The soft glow from the pendant lights fills the little space, bringing alive all the blues, reds and yellows in the room—a vibrant spectacle of colours for your eyes. You spot San at the counter, who looks up when he hears the front door opening. You're quick to approach him.

"San..."

You slow when you see the paper he holds out to you. Taking it in your hands, you look over the picture stuck to it. Even before reading the name below it, you recognize the pictured flower as a red rose. _Love_.

"I'm tired of being a coward," San says.

When you look up, he's standing next to you. In his hands is a bouquet. The deep red petals of the flowers look almost like velvet. _Red roses_. He tilts them towards you, letting you see the heart of each individual flower.

"I wanted you to know that I like you," he starts, looking you in the eye. "I'm not asking you to reciprocate these feelings, but—"

You didn't think before kissing him on the cheek. It just happened. You feel your whole face heat up as you pull away. Brows raised, San stares at your blushing face.

"Don't worry... I... like you too."

In response to your mumbled words, a smirk slowly finds its way on his lips.


End file.
